Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-09-Speech-1-230"
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"en.20090309.27.1-230"2
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"Mr President, the European Commission produces its annual competition report and it is traditional for the European Parliament to cast its eye over the report and to produce an own-initiative reaction to it.
In this case, because of timing factors, the reports for 2006 and 2007 have been brought together but – taking up one of the points mentioned by Commissioner Barrot a little earlier – it is the case that the context of our consideration of these reports has changed rather markedly, since we in fact began the exercise of considering the report some time ago. At that time, we were focused on the whole business of the modernisation of competition policy, the significant amount of work taken forward by former Commissioner, Mario Monti, and by the current Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, and on looking at the impact of that in terms of the Commission’s ability to deal with the abuse of market power and to deal more effectively with mergers and state aid. By and large, that has been a very good story in these reports and this is very clear from the reaction that we have from Parliament’s own report. We have seen record activity on the part of the Commission in terms of dealing with hardcore cartels, we have seen the development of the leniency system, we have seen record fines put into operation by the Commission and we have seen record activity in terms of mergers and state aid notifications as well.
This is a process that is gathering pace in terms of modernisation because the Commission is currently bringing forward proposals, in a White Paper, on introducing private damages. That is something, similarly, that our committee and Parliament have been supportive of.
Our committee has drawn attention to two specific concerns – what we regard as being the unequal relationship between producers and retailers, particularly in relation to food retailing. Parliament has, in fact, put down a written declaration on this, signed by more than half of the Members. Our committee has also expressed some concern about abusive practices in the services sector.
However, I mention the change of context because, of course, we all recognise that since the reports were published by the Commission, the Commission’s work – in terms of state aid particularly – has really taken on a rather different dimension. Almost on a daily basis, the Commission is now looking at the effect of the bail-outs that are taking place in the context of the current financial turmoil. It is very important – and our report says so – that, in addressing those matters, we recognise some of the challenges that there are for an effective, open market.
It is very important that, when the Commission gives its approval, it is giving that approval in ways which are compatible with the Treaty and do not create such significant market power in future that it becomes a scenario for abuse in its own right.
The banking sector in the United Kingdom at the moment is one very clear area where there will have to be, when economic circumstances become a little calmer, a general review of the new architecture that we have got and of whether that architecture really is compatible with the operation of a free, fair and open market. We have received reassurances from Commissioner Kroes in this regard but, nonetheless, our committee has put those pointers down in this report. Generally our view is that the Commission is to be congratulated in its work and that is the thrust of the report, which I anticipate will be passed tomorrow by a very large majority."@en1
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